


With the Moon as my Witness

by BasicallyAnIdiot



Series: HCS Week 2021 [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Apparently including unearthing ancient schools of magic, F/M, HCSweek2021, Werewolf!Steven, Witch!May, same age au, the things we do for love, urban fantasy au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29130942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BasicallyAnIdiot/pseuds/BasicallyAnIdiot
Summary: Steven had told her about it. How the forest was more alive than any city or town- she just couldn't see it.May wanted to see it.
Relationships: Haruka | May/Tsuwabuki Daigo | Steven Stone
Series: HCS Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137617
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9
Collections: HCS 2021





	With the Moon as my Witness

**Author's Note:**

> AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! HoennChampionShipping Week has Arrived! I'm behind per normal and nothing has been edited the way I wanted it to be but we'll just have to go for it anyway. 
> 
> You too can join in the fun! Follow 'HCSweek2021' on Tumblr or keep any eye on the collection and feel free to post to either!
> 
> Anyway, Day 1: ~~Chasing Shadows~~ /Full Moon

**With the Moon as my Witness**

“What you are proposing is insane.” Brendan announced serenely, idly snipping the stem on the rose he was working with. The green counter in front of him was covered in fresh flowers she only vaguely remembered from their school lessons, a half-filled vase, and a small pile of discarded stems. Magic, carefully disguised and hidden in the ribbons and flowers, flickered the colour of a rainbow as the mage adjusted the rose’s position in the bouquet, “And impossible.”

Leaning against the counter surveying the assortment of flowers in their glass coolers around her, May figured he was probably right. Mostly. “It’s not impossible. We know the mages of old were able to do it.”

Her friend snorted, his lone earring almost bouncing with the motion. He reached for another bloom- this time a bright orange lily. Brendan inspected it with a critical eye before nodding and preparing it. “They could. We can’t.”

“We can, we just don’t know how.” May pushed off of the counter, smiling. “I’m going to find out how.”

“Every person who said that ended up not being able to turn back,” Brendan glanced at her, unusual red eyes flickering with the inner fire of his magic. He pointed his pruners in her direction with a frown, “What makes you so special?”

“Because _I_ know why they weren’t able to turn back. Now, are you going to help or not?”

“Of course I am- like I’m going to stand by and watch you do something that stupid without supervision.” Brendan set a hand on his hip. “Which reminds me- no experiments without me.”

May gave her brightest smile, “Sure.”

“Not good enough. I want you to swear on it.”

Her smile dimmed. She sighed, drawing up her magic into her words. As she spoke the ancient words, the kind that bind, as a low hum no human could hear rumbled in the small room building. “I, May Hawthorn, Mage of the Arcanum, Southern Warder of the Rustboro Nexus, do so solemnly swear I will not attempt any transfiguration without the presence of Brendan Birch, the Western Warder of the Rustboro Nexus.”

The hum of magic in the air caressed her skin, raising the hairs on the back of her hand. Brendan held her gaze, his own magic rising to meet hers, testing the edges for her sincerity, then nodded. “I, Brendan Birch, Mage of the Arcanum, Western Warder of the Rustboro Nexus, accept this promise on behalf of the Hoenn Council of Mages.”

Like fall leaves after a short breeze, the magic settled, content with the pact. Around them, the wards and spells of the floral ribbons and tags flared with the sudden burst of energy, singing their sweet songs of protection and kindness. A comfortable warmth, like being back at the school when they first started learning, right before they accidentally set a teacher’s hat on fire because apparently there was a reason why the 18 elements were taught in a certain order afterall.

Brendan adjusted his beanie, a smile back on his face. “Now, when do you want to get started?”

May matched his grin and pulled her backpack up from the floor and set it on the counter. Unzipping it, she carefully pulled out a collection of books. A leather bound tome, spelled into stillness and so old that gold had begun to flake off of the spine, sandwiched a modern university biology textbook with a ‘used’ sticker on the spine with another tome on runes and a scribbler notebook. “How about now?”

~*~*~*~

A month later, among the books scattered about the back corner table of her coffee shop, Brendan lifted his head up, ink staining the corner of his lips, and asked, “Why is this so important to do again?”

May wiped the rest of the tabletops, flipping chairs up as she went. The routine after so many years of owning the business. The building itself stood over the southern point of a spell that held the nexus in a steady state. If she could through buildings and headed dead north-west, she would hit Brendan’s Flower Shop and apartment. “Because, it is.”

“That’s not an answer.” Brendan sat up properly, turning in his seat to regard his friend. “We aren’t getting anywhere. Even if we do know that the reason the mages didn’t turn back was because the transformation worked a little too well.”

When the last of the tables were cleaned and put away for the night, and May put the surface cleaner away in a cupboard, she turned to her fellow Warder. “Don’t you wish you could join Wallace when he returns home?”

Brendan frowned, “Well, yeah. But I can’t breathe under water. Or swim.”

She nodded, “But what if you could? What if you could change into a seal or whale or dolphin and go with him. See the world he comes from.”

Her friend regarded her carefully. “You want to join Steven on full moons.”

“Yes.” May admitted, taking off her apron. “He always talks about the forest being more alive than any city and I want to see it the way he does. I think- I think his family gives him grief over the fact I’m not- that I’m only human.”

“Only human. Right. What a load of crap.” Brendan gestured the mop cleaning the floor by itself, then to the kitchen where the next day’s baked goods made themselves. “Because the average human can do that, wandless no less.”

She winced at the tone. “Yeah. Well. It turns out Steven comes from one of the oldest wolf families in the region and some of them have… thoughts about lineage.”

“Oh by the stars- does his family have a bunch of purity nuts in it?” At her hesitant nod, Brendan exhaled sharply. “I thought you liked his dad.”

“Joseph is amazing. He wouldn’t stop giving me cookies the entire time we were there and told me all about Steven’s childhood. Apparently he used to chase his own tail every time he transformed.” May’s smile faded, “No. It was Steven’s grandparents that didn’t much care for me. They kept going on and on about the history of the family and how they descend from the First Wolf. And his mother… well, she just ignored me. I haven’t met the rest of the pack yet.”

Brendan scoffed, magic in his gaze flickering with badly concealed anger. “I have a hard time believing Steven would just let them treat you that badly.”

“Why do you think we came home a day early at New Year’s?” May bit her lip. “You should have heard the shouting match- I thought someone was going to get hurt.”

“So you want to learn the very dangerous art of human transfiguration to, what, show his family you are worthy of dating their heir?”

“No. Not that. It just made me realize what he’s giving up, the pressure coming from his family. And he tries so hard to understand my magic. I just want to learn a bit more about his wolfside. Understand a bit better when he talks about things I can’t smell or hear.”

Brendan pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. “Moon save me from fools in love.” Running a hand through his hair, taking off his beanie as he did. “Fine. Okay. When the mages of the past transformed into animals, they changed everything to that animal- including their minds. They literally became the animal in every sense of the word. And animals can’t do magic.

“But _ancient_ mages were able to go back and forth as leisure like a werewolf or selkie no problem. What are we missing?”

May blinked and sat down at the table, “But werewolves and selkies don’t transform the same way? Steven doesn’t need anything to transform. He just does it. But doesn’t Wallace need his coat, or a piece of his coat?”

Her friend opened his mouth then closed it. Then he groaned and dropped his head into his hand. “Damnit. I even noticed that.”

“Noticed what?”

Brendan ruffled through the pile of books and tomes, pulling out two. One was badly damaged by age and wear, leather cracking and all the foil worn off. The other was newer but still older than either of them. He opened both to an illustrated page in each and shoved them towards May.

The first was clearly the older of the two depicting a mage of antiquity in fine robes with a round pendant hanging in full view. He bent over a man then rose a stag. After a moment, the deer bowed his head and became a man again.

The second image was another man in robes two hundred years out of fashion. This time the man bent over and became a rabbit. The rabbit scratched a long ear but did not change back. Eventually the rabbit hopped out of the frame and the image reset.

May watched the images play out with a frown. “I don’t get it.”

Brendan rolled his eyes. “Look closely at the stag- the neck part.”

Frowning, May watched the first transformation twice more. She tapped it still the second time, scanning the stag critically. Tilting her head, tracing the white spot that dropped to the stag’s belly. “It’s oddly circular.”

“Yeah- like the pendant he was wearing.” Brendan shook his head. “Nothing else he was wearing carried over, just the shape of the pendant.”

She swore, tapping the image into motion again. It was as Brendan said. Speed reading the account beside the rabbit confirmed her thoughts. They had tried for a straight transformation, like a werewolf would. But a pendant or amulet- instead of the magic coming internally from the mage, runes could be used to control the transformation instead. Including preserving the mage’s mind. “That changes everything.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Brendan’s smile was victorious. “Better get a pot of coffee on; it’s going to be a long night.”

~*~*~*~

The pendant was a simple thing. Circular, with tiny runes she had painstakingly etched into it. It sat innocently on the counter of the flower shop.

Brendan rubbed his earring. “Surely there’s another way to test it.”

May shrugged, “Can you think of one?”

He scowled. “No. I can’t.”

She reached for the chain, eyeing for a moment then put it on. “Then we do it my way.”

~*~*~*~

The apartment was already lit when May came home, tired but triumphant. Spices hung heavy in the air, music filling the open space of the studio with her boyfriend’s favourite rock band. An older album she noted, kicking off her shoes and dropping her bag.

Her work glimmered from the corner of her eyes, careful chosen wards kept the cold out in winter and added levels of protection to the apartment pulsed in time with her heartbeat. Nothing had been tampered with.

Steven leaned back from the kitchenette, silvery-grey hair messy like he had often run his hands through it that day and eyes closer to human blue than wolf silver, with an easy smile and spoon in hand. His shirt sleeves were rolled up and black slacks somehow still neatly pressed after a day at the university. A glance placed his usual suit jacket over the back of the armchair. “Welcome home.”

“Glad to be home.” May padded over to the kitchen, pressing up into Steven’s side as he kissed the top of her head and rubbed his nose against her hair as was habit. A carryover from his fluffier side. “What’s for supper?”

“Curry,” he murmured into her hair, inhaling deeply. “Hmm. Floral. How’s Brendan?”

“He’s good.” May eyed the simmering sauce on the stovetop, garlic and ginger and too many spices to name in the scent. “That looks good.”

“Hopefully, the taste matches.” Steven replied like he didn’t have the best memory for flavour and scents she had ever seen with enough kitchen skills to match. Compared to her haphazard style of cooking, he seemed to make it an artform. He squeezed her again and stirred clockwise with one hand.

May stayed pressed against his side, hand settling over his and leaning into the radiant body warmth, watching him cook. “The full moon is two weeks away right?”

“Fifteen days, give or take a few hours.” Steven regarded her curiously. “Why?”

She shrugged as best as she was able with his arm around her shoulders, thinking of the pendant under her shirt and just between her collarbones. “Just curious. I have to make the schedule for the next two weeks tomorrow and I’d like to be available to throw a ball this time.”

“Only if you actually throw it this time,” Steven grumbled half-heartedly.

“Slander,” she poked him in the side, “I did throw the ball. Eventually.”

“Eventually.” Her boyfriend huffed. “Grab some plates and we can dish up.”

~*~*~*~

The drive to the nearby national park was a familiar one. With each twist and turn the concrete and steel faded to farmlands and rustic buildings. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, fields gave way to a canopy of towering evergreens. Evergreens turned to the old growth forest stretching out from the base of Mt. Chimney.

Steven said he didn’t _need_ to transform on the full moon, only that he wanted to. It was easier to see for a start, he had told her with a grin, meaning she could join him, and gave a notable, repeating date of the month for him to follow. Useful, given how his work schedule often turned hectic over the course of the semester.

May wasn’t entirely sure she believed him. Observing him from the passenger seat of their well-loved and much abused off-road compact SUV, it was impossible not to notice how his fingers tapped the steering wheel at a high frequency. Or the way he kept glancing up at the darkening sky. Idly, she toyed with the pendant hanging from a silver chain. Silver, one of the so-called pure metals, was soft and malleable and accepted magic and spellwork readily; not as well as gold, but far cheaper.

Reaching the turnoff from the highway to an old dirt road, one of many that ran into the large patch of private land that butted up against the national park, Steven dropped his speed as the potholes increased in size. May reached over and turned off the radio, grabbing the ‘oh-darn’ bar when the car hit the edge of a pothole at speed.

He glanced at her, eyes moon bright and more wolf than man. “Sorry.”

She huffed, keeping a tight grip on the bar, “Liar.”

His answering smile was all trouble, “Perhaps.”

Turning another looping corner, a hunting cabin came into view. It had been rundown when Steven bought it, and the land around it, shortly after they had started dating back when she was fresh faced from the Academy and just settling into her role as a Warder and he was wrapping up his first degree. There had been long summer days spent at the cabin, repairing it and learning the manual way to create something. Steven had been insistent that she not use magic to speed up the process, that there was value in working with her hands instead of her brain. She’d never admit it, but learning woodworking and carpentry, working with power tools, had been a highlight of the summer.

Steven was out of the car almost before the engine had finished turning off, moving with animal grace, and marching towards the cabin. Not a movement was wasted, motions smooth even in the pre-transformation jitters. May never got tired of watching how he moved.

She locked the vehicle with a wave of intent, and waited for the click before moving. Steven was half-undressed by the time she made it into the lone room of the building, sitting in one of the chairs they built and tugging off his shoes and socks. May snapped her fingers. Tiny balls of light flickered into existence, floating gently around the room.

Her boyfriend was too used to her casual displays of magic to slow in his task. She barely got a look when his pants dropped. The transformation overtook him like a wave on the beach; a brief moment between rippling skin and flowing fur, neither man nor beast for scant seconds. The shifting finished almost as quickly as it had started.

Steven as a wolf was larger than any dog she had ever met. Nearly at her chest, his great head and maw could bite her clean in two. He stretched with his front paws, as big as dinner plates, out in front of himself and then stretched his back. He shook out his brilliant white fur, hints of grey in the shine.

May exhaled slowly, awed as always. Steven trotted over and pressed up against her side, his tail beating a slow drumbeat against the table legs. Idly she reached up and scratched his ears. “Hey you. Did I tell you that I have a surprise for you?”

Both ears perked up and blue eyes that seemed almost more human than wolf, at least in this form, regarded her. The drumbeat picked up a hair.

May took a steadying breath. She stepped away and pulled the pendant out from under her shirt. A push of will energized the runes, tiny and delicately carved into the metal, and a curious sensation tugged at her stomach. The world blurred and gravity shifted. After a moment, when everything had settled, she shook out her new, smaller form and blinked opened her eyes.

Everything was so much more vivid. Where she had thought the cabin to have nothing but the lingering scent of dust, she was nearly overwhelmed by the smell of trees, grasses and all other manner of plant life painting the experience in tones of greens. Faintly, just on the edge of the smells, cut wood from when they split wood. Front and center, just about demanding her attention, the smell of a wolf coming from the one trying very, very hard to be very very small in front of her. His nose, sniffing a mile a minute, was bigger than her head.

Dangit. She had worried this form would be too small for this too work. It hadn’t mattered what pendant of the small collection she and Brendan had crafted she used, May always turned into the same animal. Adorable with a fluffy, silky coat, but more slinky rodent than anything else.

The floor rumbled as Steven’s tail started wagging. Wide-eyed, ears up, the wolf slowly shuffled forward. He was being careful not to startle her. May paused and sat up on her hind legs, smooth, silky, chestnut tail stretched out behind her for balance, and chirped.

His nose was cold as he pressed it right into her, and May’s giggles came out as odd-sounding chirps and titters. She clambered over his maw and scurried up to the top of his head, cautious of her surprisingly sharp claws, butting her head against the top of his. Burrowing in the thick double fur, claws gripping the tufts of furs tightly, it was time for the next stage of her master plan.

Tieing a thoughtline between them was easy, and the faint press of wolf-man ideas bounced against it. May sent a thought down, _‘Show me what you see.’_

Steven froze for a moment, the thoughts bouncing into the thoughtline she had established ranging from awe to surprise before settling on joy. He stood up slowly, images of trees with a moon high overhead flashing through his thoughts to her, carefully not to jostle her.

With a single bound, they were out the door.

**Author's Note:**

> May's animal form is a [Pine Marten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_marten)! Tiny, adorable, fluffy and absolutely ready to throw down at the slightest provocation. In the same family as Honey Badgers and knows it. Martens in other parts of the world apparently hunt deer. Small deer, but still bigger than the Martens. They like to go for the neck. Over the course of researching for this fic, I dubbed them 'murder slinkies'. 
> 
> Come say 'hi' on[ Tumblr!](https://basicallyanidiot.tumblr.com/)


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